Blog

Blog

*~ * – * ~ . ~ * – * ~

March 2020

Well, this blog HAS turned out to be a stepping stone for me to write another eBook. I have just published “Wisdom from the Bible” as I continue my journey of asking why! Here is the link if you would like to take the first step on the journey for wisdom.

The top two New Year’s resolution are exercise more and lose weight. Many people think that exercise is the main driver for weight loss, however, it is actually diet that is. Exercise plays a supporting role, as well as having other health benefits on its own. On our weight loss journey, we made some simple modifications in steps, and transformed our eating habits to a Mediterranean diet with intermittent fasting. Here are some little steps that you can take one at a time to transform your diet.

Eliminate or minimize processed foods

Portion control

Drink more water (thirst sometimes appears as hunger)

Strive to eat 2 fruits and 5 vegetables a day

Balance proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Keep fruit and crudites in the refrigerator for snacks

80% of resolutions fail by mid-February and studies indicate that it takes approximately 66 days for a new habit to become automatic, so if you are still with your New Year’s resolution by March 7th you are on your way to success!

~ * – * ~ . ~ * – * ~

January 2020

January 1st is the first step on the journey of the year 2020! We are inspired to make resolutions of things we want to accomplish in the new year. Alas, by February many have lost their resolve…. What is the difference in those who manage to end the year accomplishing their resolutions? There are several things: they have set an intention (thought), followed it up with a plan that is broken down into manageable steps (word), have made a physical commitment (action) and are therefore successful in changing their behavior. Developing healthier habits does not have to be onerous; rather, many simple small steps and actions can add up to a large change by the end of the year. Take for example if you eliminate a 100 calorie snack every day – 100 calories times 365 days in a year means you would have lost 10 pounds by the end of the year!

Conscious, consistent, mindful commitment to this behavior chain is all that is required. To improve your mental, physical and spiritual fitness, why don’t you try to incorporate some of the simple things that I do?

Hit your snooze button every morning for 10-15 minutes of meditation

5-10 minutes of yoga, Qi-gong or stretching upon awakening

Every 2-3 hours at work take a break for a 10-minute walk

Once a week take an Epsom salt bath or a Scottish shower

One a month take a forest bath (Shinrin-yoku) to commune with nature and restore your mind, body and spirit

~ * – * ~ . ~ * – * ~

December 2019

One Christmas we utilized Plan Canada’s Gift guide to replicate the 12 days of Christmas. Maximizing matching gifts, we gifted on behalf of our family and friends to those truly in the need the following quantities for just under one thousand dollars:

1

Partridge in a pear tree

Goat

2

Turtle doves

Sheep

3

French hens

Hens + Rooster

4

Calling birds

Pigs

5

Golden rings

Chicks

6

Geese-a-laying

Endless Harvest

7

Swans-a-swimming

Power Play

8

Maids-a-milking

Milk Project

9

Ladies dancing

Back to school

10

Lords-a-leaping

Girl Project

11

Pipers piping

Bed nets

12

Drummers drumming

Quinoa Project

~ * – * ~ . ~ * – * ~

November 2019

The warehouse is a metaphor for life. It represents the Universe, cosmic consciousness, the collective unconscious, any random person you interact with – it is a representation of a gift that is presented to you – either a challenge or an opportunity – it is your perspective that determines which it is; that is your free will. Among the set of outcomes there are self-improvement, self-empowerment, self-actualization or self-destruction. Every journey of self-discovery starts with the first step. There is power and magic in making a choice that gives you the impetus and momentum for your journey. The first is your perspective – is it a challenge or an opportunity? Will it become a stumbling block or can you transmute it into a stepping stone? Remember, every dark cloud has a silver lining – seek and you shall find – you have everything you need within you; you just have to ask yourself what and why first! You should keep a weekly gratitude journal to facilitate a thought-provoking conversation of self-reflection on your journey.

~ * – * ~ . ~ * – * ~

October 2019

When I was a child I was always asking why. My father would answer and then I would ask why, and so on and so on….. my father was a very patient man. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and everything happens for the best, so I find myself constantly and earnestly asking myself why so that I could understand the reason. And that is where I found myself one night working in the warehouse unloading yet another trailer with heavy items. Trailers are assigned randomly yet everyone agreed that I got much more than my fair share of the heavy loads. I began to ask myself why am I still here? Why haven’t I quit yet? I already had another part-time job so what is left here for me to do? I lost twenty pounds and improved my health. I had a lot of time to think while I was unloading trailers so I used my time in creative thought; I created my DAaaS platform. I wrote two books – aha! – then I had an epiphany hit me like a lightning bolt – I had only written one book – my chapter entitled “Our Father’s Fathers” for the Immigrant Writers Association’s first anthology entitled “Building Bridges” so there is another book I needed to glean from the warehouse.

This blog is the first step towards that new book. The wisdom that I gleaned from working in the warehouse is this — just like a new day dawns every morning, every day there is a new trailer at the warehouse door to unload. You never know what you will get until you open the door – this serves as a metaphor for life. We all need to approach each day in our life the same — let’s see what the day will bring — carpe diem — Will it be a challenge or an opportunity? Will the challenge be on the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level? Or on many levels at the same time? Will we have the grace to overcome the challenge and instead of it becoming a stumbling block on our journey can we transform it into a stepping stone and blaze a new path towards opportunity?

Every day we find different challenges. It may be that everyone comes to us to be the responsible one to do all the heavy lifting. Or it may be you work in an environment in which your time is consumed by trying to mitigate all the chaos. Or, if you are fortunate, your work environment is orderly and runs smoothly and peacefully. Or, at home you may have a never ending to do list of a million little things for your spouse and children. And of course, some days the truly catastrophic happens, but hopefully they are very few and far between.

My call to action for you is to ask you to remember to always be grateful for every new day that dawns. Look for the silver lining in any dark cloud that comes upon your path in order to transform every stumbling block on your journey into a stepping stone to new opportunities. And remember, it is by your physical and material aptitude combined with your mental and emotional attitude that you will soar to the spiritual altitude that you desire!